Smithfield Packaging workers reject union

WILSON The union recently won an election at the company's largest hog slaughterhouse 90 miles away.

Smithfield Packaging said employees at its Wilson plant voted 338-181 on Wednesday against joining the United Food and Commercial Workers union. A union spokeswoman confirmed the result.

In December, employees at company's massive 4,500-worker hog processing plant in nearby Tar Heel voted to join the union after a 16-year dispute.

Wednesday's vote came two months after parent company Smithfield Foods, based in Smithfield, Va., said an overall slump in the meat industry forced it to cut 1,800 jobs and close six factories, including one in Elon.

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